Lumina sells thriller Straightheads to Sony

Sony PicturesEntertainment has acquired the majority of worldwide rights including NorthAmerica to revenge thriller Straightheads from London-based Lumina Films.

The fllm whichstars Gillian Anderson (pictured) and Danny Dyer, is the feature directingdebut of documentary film-maker Dan Reed and tells the story of a coupleattacked on their way home from a party who are attacked, apparently withoutmotive. Unable to overcome the trauma, they set out on a mission of revenge.

Produced byDamian Jones and Kevin Loader, Straightheads was financed by Film4, the UK FilmCouncil's New Cinema Fund, Screen WM and UK distributor Verve Pictures whichretains UK rights and will release the film in April next year.

The deal for thefilm, struck after its market premiere screening at AFM, was negotiated bySamantha Horley, managing director of Lumina, with Scott Shooman, director ofacquisitions and productions, and Lia Buman, director of acquisitions, at SPE.

"This dealdemonstrates Lumina's rapidly growing reach to international audiences, withcontroversial titles like Straightheads representing the edgy and original product we will befocusing on bringing to the market," Horley said in a statement.

The deal alsodemonstrates Sony's renewed appetite for independent acquisitions. At AFM, itbought multiple rights to a slew of films including Homeland Security starring Antonio Banderas and Meg Ryanfrom Nu Image/Millenium Films and The Last Time starring Michael Keaton and BrendanFraser from Element Films International.

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